The Hobbit: The People Of Lake Town Made One Major Error In Their Dealings With The Dwarves

gamerant.com:

Anyone who has seen The Hobbit movies, or read the books will know that the dwarves quest to reclaim Erebor does not end well for the people of Lake Town (or arguably for the dwarves themselves, due to the fate of Thorin, Fili and Kili, and the end of the line of Durin). Of all the terrible fates that befall the characters across the story, what happens to the people of Lake Town is arguably one of the worst tragedies, because many people who die in the dragon's terrible fire and wrath are innocent bystanders, women and children who were simply victims swept up in a much larger political endeavor.

This is only made worse when Thorin, who is now the self-proclaimed king under the mountain after the dragon leaves, refuses to give the people of Lake Town any part or share in the gold and wealth of Erebor, in order for them to afford to rebuild a life and a home somewhere new after their last one was destroyed.

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Thorin, unfortunately, falls prey to the dragon sickness that is prone within dwarves, especially of his family line, and traps himself under the mountain whilst he refuses to part with a single penny, even though Bard did him a great favor in shooting Smaug and bringing the mighty dragon down out of the sky before any more damage could be done. The only solution seems to be for the men of Lake Town to team up with the elves of Mirkwood and try to negotiate with the dwarves about the payment that is rightfully theirs. But the readers of the original Hobbit book have come up with another solution that would have evaded the tricky dealings with the deranged dwarf.

The hint comes earlier in the books, and also in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations, when the dwarves are sneaking quietly